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Ephemeris for Wednesday, June 7th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 27 minutes, setting at 9:25, and it will rise tomorrow at 5:57. The Moon, 2 days before full, will set at 5:44 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the bright planets. I’m no longer going to cover Mars until it’s back in the morning sky next year. It’s too dim in twilight t really spot. Though next year July it will be closer to us than it’s been since 2003. Dominating the evening sky now besides the Moon is Jupiter in the south-southwest. The bright blue-white star Spica is seen left and below it. In even the smallest telescopes Jupiter’s four largest moons can be seen. They shift positions night from to night and sometimes even as you watch. Jupiter will set at 3:13 a.m. Saturn can now be seen late in the evening after it rises in the east-southeast at 9:46 p.m. At 5 a.m. both Saturn and Venus will be in the morning twilight. Brilliant Venus will be low in the east tomorrow morning after rising at 3:33 a.m.

The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Jupiter and the Moon in twilight at 10:30 p.m., June 7, 2017. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter and its four Galilean moons as they might be seen in a telescope at 10:30 p.m,. June 7, 2017. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

The moon as seen in binoculars, tonight at 10:30 p.m., June 7, 2017. Created using Stellarium.

Venus, Saturn and the setting Moon at 5 a.m. June 8, 2017. Created using Stellarium. Click on the image to expand.

Saturn and its brightest moons overnight June 7/8, 2017. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

Venus as it might be seen through a telescope at 5 a.m. June 8, 2017. This is displayed at a larger scale/magnification than the Jupiter or Saturn images above. Created using Stellarium.

Planets at sunset and sunrise of a single night starting with sunset on the right on June 7, 2017. The night ends on the left with sunrise on June 8. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.